Meddling Kids: Mask of the Blue Scarab
by Ellis97
Summary: When Scooby, Shaggy, and Madelyn try to stop a gritty Blue Scarab reboot movie, they find out that somebody might have already beat them to it.
1. The Blue Knight Returns

**Author's Note:**

**Well folks, we're back to our main story, and what better way to get back then with Scooby-Doo and the rest of Mystery Inc? So let's see what's going on with the gang!**

* * *

Our story opens up at the Rogers Residence, where we see Shaggy, Scooby and Cavey Junior enjoying a nice bowl of popcorn and watching TV.

"Oh boy, this is the life, Scoob." said Shaggy. "Just two guys sitting by the couch and watching reruns of the old Blue Scarab Show."

"Yeah, he's the best." Scooby nodded.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Hey Scoob, could you get the door, please?" Shaggy asked as he stuffed more popcorn into his mouth.

"Rokay Raggy!" Scooby saluted.

Scooby walked over to the door and saw Madelyn at the front.

"Rello Radelyn." He said.

"Hey Scooby! Who's a good boy? You are, yes you are." Madelyn squealed as she started petting Scooby and scratching him behind the ears.

"Raw..." Scooby said as Madelyn scratched him in the ears.

"So, do you mind if I come in?" She asked him.

"Sure." Scooby nodded.

Madelyn walked inside and found Shaggy and Junior on the couch.

"Hey guys!" She waved to them.

"Oh, hi Mads." Shaggy waved back. "What's up?"

"Oh I was just passing by and I thought I'd come by and say hello." Madelyn said innocently. "Hello!"

"Hi Madelyn!" Junior waved to the younger Dinkley sister.

"Hi Junior! How's my little man?" Madelyn gushed as she picked up Junior and started smothering his face with kisses. "Mwah! Mwah! Mwah! Mwah!"

"Doing well, especially with these reruns on TV!" Junior said as he gestured towards the television.

"Reruns? Whatcha watching?" Madelyn asked as she sat down next to Shaggy with Junior in her lap.

"This is the Blue Scarab, Madelyn." Shaggy said. "Only the single greatest TV show ever made."

"Ooh, what's it about?" Madelyn asked.

"It's about a billionaire superhero who stops crooks and super villains during the night!" Shaggy explained.

"Kind of like, Batman?" asked Madelyn.

"No, not like Batman." Shaggy shook his head. "This avenger is much better than that guy."

"How?" asked Madelyn.

"Just watch and you'll find out." Shaggy replied.

"Okay." Madelyn shrugged.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Madelyn became completely hooked on the show.

"So Mads, like, what do you think?" He asked her.

"Guys..." She said with an awestruck expression on her face. "This...is...AMAZING!"

"I knew it, nobody can resist the awesomeness that is the Blue Scarab." Shaggy smirked.

"Amen brother." Scooby nodded.

It was then that the door opened, and when the four turned towards the front door, Shaggy's sister, Maggie or "Sugie" rather, walked through with a couple of book bags slumped on her back.

"Hey Sugie, whatcha doing?" Shaggy asked her. "You need any help?"

"Don't worry, I got it..." She grunted as she struggled.

"What's with all those backpacks anyway?" Shaggy asked. "You have a bunch of homework?"

"It's those blasted assignments and studies for the upcoming tests." Sugie grunted.

"Gee, that's unfortunate." Shaggy said.

"Yeah, it'll take all night to finish all of this work." Sugie sighed.

"Then you'd better get started." Scooby said.

"What're you guys doing anyway?" Sugie asked. "Shouldn't you be, you know, doing schoolwork too?"

"Well, these reruns of the Blue Scarab are too good to miss." Shaggy shrugged.

Sugie narrowed her eyes as she saw the hero knocking out a henchman of a villain he is currently battling.

"The Blue Scarab?" She snorted. "Really, Norville?"

"Hey, I cant help it." Shaggy said. "It's like, the best show ever made."

"Yeah, it's the whole reason we keep solving mysteries." Scooby nodded. "It encourages us to be brave and become heroes."

"Even though you guys often run away from spooks half the time." Sugie deadpanned.

"Well that may be, sis, but then we go back to this show for some more encouragement." Shaggy retorted.

"Yeah, we even have a little saying!" Scooby added.

"What's that?" asked Sugie.

"It's called, 'What Would the Blue Scarab Do in This Particular Situation'." Shaggy said.

"Or WWTBSDITPS for short." Scooby added.

"Well lucky for you two chuckleheads, I have some good news I think you might like." Sugie places her hands on her hips.

"What good news is that?" asked Junior.

"There's a new Blue Scarab movie coming out this Friday." Sugie said. "From what I've read, they're giving your hero a drastic, gritty and realistic makeover."

"Gee, that doesn't sound like the Blue Scarab we know." Shaggy said.

"Here, I'll show you." Sugie said as she changed the channel.

The boys and Madelyn looked on as Sugie changed to a channel that happened to be playing the trailer of the new Boue Scarab movie.

_There was a pitch black screen with some scary and suspenseful music. _

_"In the darkness of the city, no one is safe." the announcer said scarily. _

_There was a scary stormy dark city that appeared onscreen. _

_"Danger lurks around every single corner..." the announcer continued. _

_People were getting mugged and beaten senseless by crooks left and right. _

_"But now, there will be even more danger lurking, because of him..." the announcer continued. _

_Just then, a dark, scary muscular man with a black and deep blue suit approached the crooks. _

_"You had better put that down or else..." the man growled. _

_"Or else what?" the crook sneered. _

_The man growled and started beating the crook senseless._

_"The Blue Scarab! Coming this Friday to a theater near you!" The announcer finished. "Be there or beware!" _

"What the heck was that?" said Madelyn.

"I believe that would be the Blue Scarab reboot flick." Sugie replied.

Shaggy, Scooby, Junior and Madelyn shared glances with each other.

"I believe that was a load of baloney." Madelyn retorted.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're right, Mads." Shaggy said. "The Blue Scarab is a noble hero who believes in truth, justice, and heroism. Not some dark, angsty vigilante who beats people senseless."

"And he's not mean either." Junior added.

"Well, the studio producing this movie clearly thinks otherwise." Sugie said.

"If that's the case, then we'd better do something about it!" Madelyn pounded her fist.

"Like what?" asked Shaggy. "Write an angry letter?"

"Start a petition?" Scooby added.

"Not even close." Madelyn shook her head. "We are going to boycott this movie!"

"As in, not watching the movie and buying any of the related film merchandises?" Shaggy raised a finger.

"No, as in, going to the producers and giving them a piece of our minds." Madelyn placed her hands on her hips.

"Oh." The boys shared glances with each other.

"And luckily for you guys, the multiplex is having a special screening of the movie with the directors, producers and actors attending this Friday." Sugie said. "You don't need to go to Hollywood. You can tell it right to their faces!"

"Boy, that is like, way too convenient." Shaggy remarked.

"I'll say." Madelyn agreed.

* * *

We then cut to Friday, where Scooby, Shaggy, and Madelyn are getting pick it signs ready for the movie premiere.

"Okay, guys, you like, ready?" asked Shaggy.

"Right!" Scooby and Madelyn saluted.

"Now hold up those protest signs." Shaggy said.

Scooby and Madelyn held up two signs that said, "NOT MY SCARAB" and "REBOOT GET THE BOOT."

"Perfect, now let's get going!" Shaggy said as he led the duo to the theater.

Over at the theater, as people line up to watch the movie, there was a small but growing crowd of similar protesters on the street.

"Zoinks, looks like we're not alone in this debacle." Shaggy remarked.

The crowd of protestors were chanting many things such as, "This remake is obscene" and "Save the Scarab!"

Walking over to join the crowd, Shaggy, Scooby and Madelyn quickly joined in, during which they recognized a few familiar faces.

"1,2,3,4, this movie has got to go because we don't like it and it ruins the good Blue Scarab name." One of the protestors chanted.

"Eric, I think your chants could use a little more catchiness and creativity." the other fan deadpanned.

"Eric? Bill? What are you guys doing here?" Madelyn asked the duo.

"We're boycotting this movie, what does it look like?" Bill sarcastically replied.

"We know you're protesting, we just didn't know you guys were such big fans." Madelyn clarified.

"It's a really great comic book franchise." Bill said. "The Blue Scarab fights crimes with a variety of high-tech gadgets, which this dimwitted film doesn't take into account of."

"Tell me about it." Scooby deadpanned.

"That's why we started this boycott." Eric continued. "We wanna speak for the longtime Blue Scarab fans and show these sleazy directors that they're destroying the good name of our heroes."

"Like, I'm with you, Eric." Shaggy nodded. "The Blue Scarab always encouraged me to be brave growing up and in spite of my fears, I could still make differences."

Madelyn then turned around and saw another protestor. "Hey, isn't that Googie from the cheerleader squad?"

She was waving a pom-pom and speaking into a megaphone. "This ain't a movie for the Oscars. This movie is for chumps! It ruins the Blue Scarab, so throw it in the dumps!"

"Wow, sounds like someone really dislikes this new movie." Bill remarked.

"Don't we all?" Shaggy deadpanned.

"So, when are the producers, cast and crew members supposed to be coming to the theater for the screening?" asked Scooby.

Just then, a black limo and several police cars arrived in front of the multiplex.

"Right about now." Eric remarked.

As soon as the occupants of the limo got off, the crowd of protestors stormed over to have their voices heard, but just as they got close, some cops and bodyguards stood in their way.

"Hold it right there, you hooligans!" said the head cop. "What do you think you're doing?"

"We're going to give the people who were involved with this movie a piece of our mind! That's what!" Bill sternly said.

"Well, if you want to protest the movie, suit yourselves." The head cop said. "But if you cause any trouble and any form of damage, then you'll be finding yourselves facing quite the music."

"Trust us, officer, you won't regret it." Bill smirked.

Conveniently, some reporters were also broadcasting live from the scene.

"Reginald Livingston Segal reporting live from the Kasem Multiplex, where a special screening for the Blue Scarab is being held." the reporter said in front of the camera. "However, while the stars and producers of the film have yet to arrive, it seems that there seems to be some sort of march or protest going on in front the theater."

* * *

Over at police headquarters, a certain police captain was in the squadroom of the Major Crimes Division when he saw the newscast on the squadroom television, during which the camera zoomed into the protestors.

The captain's eyes narrowed when he recognized one of the protestors on television, and several of the detectives nearby turned towards him in concern when he slammed his mug of coffee onto the desk.

"Something eating you, Captain?" One of the detectives asked.

With a growl, the captain turned towards the detective and asked, "Didn't you have a couple of leads to follow up for the Stevens case, Detective Knotts?"

At the captain's glare, Knotts retreated hastily as he quickly grabbed his cup of coffee and rushed out of the squad room.

The captain then turned his glare towards the other detectives, and they quickly returned to what they were doing prior to his outburst.

He headed over to his squad car, stepped on the gas pedal and drove right towards the theater.

* * *

Back over at the theater, Reginald was interviewing all the protestors while waiting for the studio executives and the leading actor to arrive.

"Young last, would you please tell me what is going on here?" He asked Madelyn.

"Yes, we are here to protest this new Blue Scarab movie." Madelyn said. "It is nothing like the comics at all and tarnishes the superhero's good name!"

"I see." Reginald said, then turned the mike to Scooby. "Your reaction little doggy?"

"Hey! I am not a little doggy!" Scooby said, offended.

Reginald almost jumped back a little from Scooby's outburst.

"Now, now, Scoob, no need to cause a panic." Shaggy pet Scooby on the neck. "He's just a little shaken up over this movie, Mr. Segal."

"I see." Reginald said before turning back to the camera. "There you have it, folks. Even a dog can boycott."

Just then, an unexpected police car drove up to the theater.

"This just in, another police car has arrived at the theater!" Reginald spoke into his microphone. "Let's find out what's going on!"

As soon as the police car pulled up, the police captain got off and Shaggy swallowed in recognition.

The captain spoke into a megaphone. "Everybody shut up!"

The protesting immediately stopped.

The captain glared at the protesters before continuing, "I understand you all are upset about this new movie. However, it would be greatly appreciated if you can do your protests in a more civil manner. Insults and name-calling won't bring any of you anywhere!"

"This is gonna be good." Reginald mumbled to himself.

"All these fine producers, directors and actors want to do is to enjoy the movie they made! Is that so wrong?" Knotts continued. "And all you folks are doing is complaining about it and giving them a hard time before they even show up! So how about you save your whining till after the movie is done?"

"Bah! Easier for you to say that when the studio doesn't provide any ounce of respect to the man that originated the role!" A voice suddenly shouted, and the crowd turned towards its source.

At the sight of the old man that made that last remark, the crowd gasped.

"Zoinks!" Shaggy remarked. "As I live and breath!"

"It's Owen Garrison!" Eric shouted. "The original Blue Scarab!"

"Jinkies! I didn't see that coming." Madelyn said.

"Now this is an unexpected turn of events." Reginald spoke into his mike. "The original Blue Scarab is at the premiere. Stay tuned for new developments."

"You call this a movie? More like a shoddy cash cow!" Garrison ranted. "I leave show business for thirty six years and now, they've tarnished my good name with this...monstrosity! They wouldn't even let me have a single cameo in the film! Where is that director? GET HIM HERE NOW!"

"Boy, this guy sounds like a real veteran." said Eric.

"Decades of wanting to relive the glory days can do that to ya." Shaggy remarked.

"Uh-huh." Madelyn agreed.

Just then, two men got out of the black limo.

"Finally, I can get outside." said the first man. "I can't believe it took them this long to find a decent parking space."

"I just hope this movie does good." the other man said.

"And just who are you two?" Garrison glared at the two men.

"I believe I am R.G. Nell, the director of this Blue Scarab film." said the first man.

"So I've heard." Garrison growled. "I just happen to be-"

"I know who you are!" the other man said as he enthusiastically shook Garrison's hand. "Owen Garrison, the original Blue Scarab. I'm Radley Crown, one of your biggest fans and the guy who is playing you in this movie."

"So I've seen." Garrison nodded. "In that case, young man, how do you explain this junk of a movie they're making about the Blue Scarab?"

"Well, I know it's not exactly the same as the show or comic books, but I really want you to see me in it, sir." Radley said. "I've followed your career my whole life, and nothing would please me more than to have my hero see how I do as his potential successor."

Garrison thought. "Okay kid. I'll humor you. Show me this movie."

"Oh thank you so much, sir!" Radley shook Garrison's hand. "Trust me, you will not regret this!"

"I hope not." Garrison glared.

As Garrison and Radley exchanged glances, the protestors were calming down.

"Boy, Mr. Garrison and Mr. Crown sure seem to be hitting it off well." Shaggy remarked.

"Yeah, I guess we could give this movie a chance." Madelyn shrugged.

The gang went inside to see the movie.

As the crowd dissipated, the police captain put down the megaphone.

"Figured as much." He muttered.

The captain went back into his car and drove back to the station.

"One day...one day..." He thought to himself.

* * *

About two hours later, the movie was finished and the kids were heading out of the theater.

"So, what did you guys think of the movie?" asked Madelyn.

"Honestly, I don't know." Shaggy replied.

"Looked like a completely different movie if you ask me." Scooby added.

"Yeah, I didn't know who we were supposed to be rooting for." Eric added. "It was so...gritty and dark. I couldn't tell who was the real villain. This alleged 'Blue Scarab' or that Willie the Weasel."

"Yeah, me neither." Shaggy agreed. "And I don't think Mr. Garrison was able to tell either."

Just then, there were some huge flashing lights and thunder noises as soon as all the patrons were out of the theater.

"Zoinks!" Shaggy gasped as his hair stuck up funny. "What's going on?"

"Rye don't know, Raggy." Scooby shivered.

"They're coming from over there." Madelyn said as she pointed towards the source of the commotion.

The source was up on the roof of the theater. It was some sort of shadowy figure. All of a sudden, there was some kind of beeping sound.

"Hey, that's the Blue Scarab alarm." Shaggy gasped.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Nell demanded.

"Oh you fool, how could you not know the Scarab Alarm?" The shadowy figure chuckled. "I'm sure you watched my show, didn't you?"

"Maybe a few episodes, but other than that, what is the meaning of this?" Nell barked. "This alarm was only a thing in the movies!"

"Maybe in the movies, but not for me!" said the shadowy figure.

"Wh-Who are you?" Nell stammered.

"You would like to know!" the figure growled.

The figure swung off the roof and revealed himself.

"The Blue Scarab?!" Shaggy, Scooby and Madelyn gasped.

"But, but that's impossible!" said Nell. "You-you're just a fictional character! You're not real!"

"Well, you believe wrong, my friend!" The Blue Scarab growled. "I have received complaints about a trashy adaptation of my adventures in the form of your movie, and the complaints didn't disappoint."

"I just wanted to bring this franchise for a new generation..." Nell said fearfully.

"Well, you thought wrong!" The Blue Scarab growled.

"Aaahh!" Nell screamed as he ran towards his car.

But before he could get there, the Scarab stood in his way and sent some sort of electric shock to Nell's body, knocking him out cold.

"Bet you forgot about my Blue Scarab sting, huh?" The Blue Scarab laughed evilly. "Or did you not know that?"

The film director laid flat on the ground, and the Blue Scarab snorted. "I've thought so too."

"And do not think I'm done yet!" The Blue Scarab snarled as he turned to Radley. "I'll be back for you as well! Enjoy your last few moments, fools!"

The Scarab laughed manically as he vanished into thin air.

"Jinkies! What a show stopper!" Madelyn gulped.

Just then, a store alarm went off a few blocks away.

"Zoinks! What's going on over there?" Shaggy pointed to the store.

"Let's check it out." said Madelyn.

The trio ran over to the store to see what was happening.

When they arrived, the store owner was looking at the damaged storefront in despair.

"Miss, is everything okay?" Madelyn asked.

"Like, what happened here?" Shaggy added.

"Some mad man in a blue Halloween costume came and knocked down all this new Blue Scarab merchandise displayed in our store front." The woman explained.

"A man in a blue Halloween costume, you say?" Shaggy asked as Madelyn turned towards her. "What does his costume look like?"

Even before the storekeeper answered his question, there was a feeling in the pit of Shaggy's stomach that he knew what exactly the intruder was dressed as.

"Funny you mention that, young man." The woman replied. "He was dressed in the costume of the Blue Scarab."

At that remark, Shaggy, Scooby and Madelyn shared glances with each other in concern.

"Ruh roh." Scooby remarked.

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**You just made the understatement of the year, Scooby-Doo! Looks like the Blue Scarab is on a rampage and going on a rampage. But why? Stay tuned for more as this mystery unfolds! **


	2. Suspicious Minds

Later, Shaggy's dad and his fellow officers arrived at the crime scene to investigate what happened.

"I don't know what to say, pops." Shaggy shrugged. "I never thought my childhood hero would actually commit crimes like this. It's like the universe is totally backwards."

"Huh." Captain Sam Rogers grunted as his investigators questioned the storekeeper.

"I always knew the Blue Scarab was a bit hard core, but I didn't think he'd actually do something like this." Shaggy sighed. "He even threatened the actor playing him."

"Yeah, I know the movie wasn't great and all, but that doesn't mean you have to punish the people behind it." Madelyn said. "We've gotta talk some sense into this guy!"

"Captain, found something." The investigator going through the store's surveillance footage reported, and Sam walked over to join her.

"What is it, Detective Bergman?" Sam asked.

It was some sort of comic book.

"So, it's a comic book?" Sam raised an eyebrow. "Probably just fell off the stand."

"This isn't just any old comic book, this is the first copy of the premiere issue of the original Blue Scarab comics." Bergman said. "Hardly anyone can get these anymore, so it obviously couldn't have come from the stand. Besides, it has merchandise from the movie, not the show or comics."

"Right, right." Sam nodded thoughtfully. "In any case, where do you suppose an original copy of the very first issue of the Blue Scarab comics comes from, especially since with said comic book being hard to found, I reckon that this comic book worths millions today."

"Well pop, most hardcore Blue Scarab fans would collect these babies." Shaggy said as he picked up the comic book. "Whoever is behind this is obviously a collector of Scarab memorabilia."

"Say, didn't that actor say he followed Mr. Garrison's career his whole life?" Madelyn raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, and Eric and Bill said they were huge fans as well." Shaggy added.

"Well gang, looks like we've got some suspects on our hands." Madelyn proclaimed.

"And with the rest of the gang out of town with another mystery, it's up to us to get to the bottom of this." Shaggy added.

"Right Raggy!" Scooby proclaimed. "We shall solve this mystery or my name isn't Scooby Dooby Doo!"

"Alright, so which suspect should we interrogate first?" asked Madelyn.

"How about Bill?" suggested Shaggy. "That guy always did rub me the wrong way."

"Well that Radley Crown guy does seem a bit determined to make it big in this movie and overthrow Mr. Garrison." Madelyn added. "I think he's a bit suspicious."

"But he was there when the Scarab attacked, so it can't be him." Shaggy pointed out. "Besides, he was really happy to meet Mr. Garrison."

"What about Mr. Garrison?" Madelyn asked. "Last I saw him, he didn't look too happy about the film, plus we didn't see him when the Blue Scarab attacked."

"Right, right." Shaggy nodded.

"No that can't be." Scooby shook his head. "Mr. Garrison would never do such a horrible thing. He played one of the greatest heroes of all time."

"Plus, he's too old to do any of those things." Shaggy added. "If you ask me, maybe Googie is the culprit. She came up with that real mad shady cheer."

"What about Eric?" Scooby asked. "He was part of the boycott, too."

"Any of those people could be the culprit." Madelyn said. "Why don't we write down the suspects and interrogate them? Then we can really see who's behind this."

"Of course." Shaggy said. "Only wish is that the list of suspects doesn't grow longer."

"The question now is, who should we interrogate first?" Madelyn asked.

"Good question." Shaggy nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps we start with Eric and Bill."

* * *

We then cut to the malt shop, where Eric and Bill are having some milkshakes.

"What were they thinking making that movie anyways?" said Bill.

"Probably to make some cold hard cash." Eric shrugged.

"Yeah, I can see that as a possibility." Bill agreed.

Just then, Scooby, Shaggy and Madelyn arrived.

Hello Bill, hello Eric..." Shaggy said suspiciously.

"If those are your real names!" Scooby growled.

Bill and Eric shared glances with each other.

"Must've been the movie making them lose whatever brain cells they've got left." Bill joked.

"Very funny, Bill, but we wanna talk to you guys." Madelyn places her hands on her hips.

"Oh yeah, about what?" Bill asked.

"About the attack of the Blue Scarab earlier." Madelyn said.

"Oh yeah." said Eric. "That was pretty freaky. I never thought that would actually happen. After all, the chances of meeting the actual Blue Scarab are 16,755 to one."

"Maybe...or perhaps you might know more about those chances than you claim?" Madelyn raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, what are you saying, exactly?" asked Eric.

"We have reason to believe that you two had something to do with the attack!" Scooby grabbed Eric and Bill by the shirts.

"What are you talking about?" Bill asked.

"Well for one thing, you guys started that Anti-Scarab March and said that you were big fans of the character." Madelyn places her hands on her hips. "And you also seemed like you wanted to really wanted confront the director for butchering the Blue Scarab."

"Plus, only a die hard super-fan would own a rare collector's item like this!" Shaggy added he showed them the comic book.

"Recognize rhis?" Scooby growled as Shaggy shoved the comic book in their faces.

"Oh my God! Is that a rare Blue Scarab premiere issue?" Eric gasped. "These are gems! Where did you get it?"

"We found it in the store and figured one of you guys must've dropped it." Shaggy explained.

"Why would we just bring an ultra rare collector's item out in public? That doesn't make any sense." Eric said. "It could get damaged and it's valuableness will be ruined."

"And besides, we were here when the attack occurred." Bill added before thumbing at the waiter at the counter and added, "You can ask him, he served us milkshakes earlier and saw us coming in."

Shaggy, Scooby and Madelyn shared glances with each other.

"Yeah that's what I thought." Eric said. "How about instead of accusing people of this mess, why don't you try waiting for the next attack and try to catch the Scarab in the act?"

"That works." Shaggy, Scooby and Madelyn blankly said.

"Good." Eric nodded. "Now, if you will excuse us, we've got a science project to discuss about over a couple of milkshakes."

Bill nodded firmly as he glared at the trio, and Shaggy, Scooby and Madelyn shared glances with each other before leaving the malt shop.

"Well that backfired." Scooby said.

"What do you suppose we do now, Mads?" Shaggy asked Madelyn.

"My suggestion is that we estimate on where the next attack might be." Madelyn deduced. "Usually in this particular situation, my sister would want us to retrace our steps and think about the next possible place."

"Like, didn't the Scarab say something about returning to attack Mr. Nell and that Radley Crown dude?" asked Shaggy.

"Right." Madelyn snapped her fingers. "So the Scarab must be going wherever Mr. Nell and Radley might be! We have to find them and warn them!"

"And perhaps, in the same time, keep an eye on whatever suspicious activity those two may be up to." Shaggy added.

"Right!" Madelyn exclaimed. "There's no time to lose!"

Madelyn ran towards town, but then Shaggy stopped her.

"Hold on a sec, Mads." He said. "There's just one little problem."

"What is it?" Madelyn asked.

"We don't know where they are." Shaggy replied.

"Rats!" Madelyn stomped her foot.

"So how do you suppose we find them?" Shaggy asked.

"Well if I know my sister, she would usually check the internet for some possible sources." Madelyn said.

"I don't know Mads, sometimes the internet is kinda fishy." Shaggy said skeptically.

"It's either that, or search through a whole bunch of newspapers." Madelyn deadpanned.

"Internet it is, then!" Shaggy gave a thumbs up.

"Then, let's get moving." Madelyn said. "There's no time to lose!"

* * *

The trio went back to Madelyn's house and looked up where the movie crew was staying at.

"There it is!" Madelyn said. "The Grumbacker Hotel! Come on, we've got no time to lose!"

The trio then raced outside and headed to the hotel.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Well folks, looks like our heroes are going to be catching that Scarab in the act? Who is the Scrab? And how can they stop him? Stay tuned! **


	3. A New Kind of Hero

Our heroes then arrived at the Grumbacker Hotel.

"Like here we are gang, the Grumbacker Hotel." Shaggy said.

"Now all we need to do is figure out where Mr. Nell and that Radley guy are in." Madelyn said.

The trio walked inside and rang for some service.

"Can I help you?" asked the desk clerk.

"Like, yeah." Shaggy said as he held up a Blue Scarab postcard. "We didn't have the chance to get Mr. Nell and Mr. Crown's autographs during the movie premiere, and we were wondering if we can catch them in their room to get the autographs?"

"Hmm..." The desk clerk said as he typed into the computer. "Okay, Mr. Nell is in Room 456 and Mr. Crown is in Room 234." the clerk said. "I'll let them know that you're coming."

"Thanks sir." Shaggy said.

The trio then walked over to the elevators.

"Okay, let's split up gang." Shaggy said. "Scooby and I will go after Mr. Crown and Mads go after Mr. Nell,"

"Rokay Raggy!" Scooby saluted.

"Don't worry Shaggy! I shall bring him back with no problem!" Madelyn smiled.

The trio then proceeded to split up once the elevator reached the second floor as Shaggy and Scooby got off.

They walked through the hall, ready to confront Radley.

"You know Scoob, I have a few words to say to that Radley guy." Shaggy told his doggy.

"That he's going to be attacked?" Scooby asked.

"Well that, and some things concerning his performance." Shaggy replied. "In addition to the darkness and gritty stuff, I found his performance as the Scarab to be a bit...wooden."

"Ah, I see." Scooby nodded.

"Anyhoo, here goes nothing." Shaggy said as they arrived at room 234.

Shaggy knocked at the door and then came Radley Crown himself in a Blue Scarab T-shirt.

"Hey, are you guys room service? Cause I didn't order any room service." He said as he saw Shaggy and Scooby.

"No, we just want to ask a few questions about the Blue Scarab movie we just saw earlier, Mr. Crown." Shaggy said.

"Okay then, what's on your mind?" asked Radley.

"Do you mind me telling you what I thought about the movie?" Shaggy asked.

"Go ahead, shoot." Radley shrugged.

"Well, my pal and I want to be straight with you, sir." Shaggy cleared his throat. "In addition to the unnecessary dark and gritty tone, we find your performance to be mediocre at best."

"Mediocre?" asked Radley.

"Yeah, like I couldn't tell who was the hero or the bad guy, because that was not the Blue Scarab I knew growing up." Shaggy explained. "The Blue Scarab I knew would never act like some angsty creep. He was a noble and honorable hero."

"You said it, brother!" Scooby nodded.

"Look, I know that wasn't my best performance, but I did my best." Radley sighed.

"Well maybe, but let's face it dude, you're no Garrison." Shaggy shook his head.

Just then, Radley saw the comic book in Shaggy's hands.

"Hey! My comic book!" He grabbed the book. "I thought I lost that! Thanks!"

"This is your comic book?" Shaggy and Scooby asked in unison.

"Yes, I've been collecting the comics since I was young." Radley said before frowning. "Where did you boys find it?"

"You wouldn't believe it, but we found it at a store that was robbed." Shaggy said. "That store was selling merchandise for the movie, and the shopkeeper insisted that the Blue Scarab did it."

"Well I still refuse to believe that he could've done a horrible thing like that!" Radley said. "The Blue Scarab I grew up with wouldn't threaten or rob anything. He was a firm believer in justice and principles!"

"Right!" Shaggy nodded. "Even if the movie was bad, the Scarab is still an inspiration to me and Scooby!"

"Yeah, he's my idol." Scooby nodded.

"He was my idol, too." Radley sighed. "When I was a kid, I used to get bullied a lot, but then when the Blue Scarab premiered, it helped me gain a new sense of courage and I learned to stand up for myself."

"Did they stop picking on you?" Scooby asked.

"Nope, they just kept on doing it." Radley replied bluntly. "But from that day, I gained a new sense of courage and confidence from the show. That's why I took the role for this movie, so I could help bring the Blue Scarab to a new generation of kids."

"Well, anyways, do you have any idea who would want to trash the Blue Scarab's reputation and smash up a store?" Shaggy asked.

"Well, first we need to think back to the premiere." Radley pointed out. "When Mr. Nell and I got out of the limo, we saw Mr. Garrison looking pretty angry at the movie being made."

"Just like the protesters!" Scooby added.

"Right!" Shaggy nodded. "Then, you guys invited him to see the movie with you and he didn't come out with you guys when the movie was over. You think maybe, Mr. Garrison could be behind this?"

"But that's preposterous! He would never do something like that!" Radley exclaimed. "At least I don't think he would."

"Like, did Mr. Garrison leave in the middle of the movie?" Shaggy pressed.

"Well he left towards the end when the villain started blasting and beating up the Scarab." Radley replied. "And he was very resentful towards not being used in movie, too."

"So, he's got to be behind this!" Shaggy said. "It's the only theory that makes sense."

"But how can we capture him and how are we gonna find him?" asked Radley. "He could be anywhere now."

"Well, whatever it is, we need to think of something." Shaggy said. "Like, before..."

Before Shaggy could finish, Madelyn and Nell rushed over to them with the latter having an urgent look on his face.

"Madelyn, Mr. Nell, what're you guys doing here?" asked Shaggy. "I thought we were meeting in the lobby."

"Something just happened." Madelyn said as she struggled to catch her breath. "You guys are gonna want to hear Mr. Nell out."

"What's going on?" Radley asked as they turned towards the director.

Mr. Nell started to explain. "I received a call from the studio executives and they said that stores carrying merchandise for the movie got raided. All the aisles and items have been completely destroyed. They're saying that unless I do something about this, my career is over!"

"Zoinks!" Shaggy exclaimed. "It must be our Blue Scarab that is behind the raid!"

"Jinkies! This is getting more serious than I thought!" Madelyn gasped.

"The only place that hasn't been hit is the megastore." Mr. Nell said. "It's got a whole aisle of Blue Scarab stuff! He's gonna hit that place next!"

"We need to ask ourselves: What would the Blue Scarab do in this particular situation?" Shaggy proclaimed.

"Or WWTBSDITPS for short!" Scooby added.

"Well, I'm sure he's gonna target the store, so maybe that's where we're gonna set a trap for him." Madelyn offered.

"But what kind of trap?" Mr. Nell asked.

"Well since he wants to be a star again, what if we use something from the old show?" suggested Shaggy.

"What could we possibly use that would help us?" Madelyn asked.

"Before the show was cancelled, they were planning episode where Blue Scarab fights his evil twin from another dimension." said Radley. "If we can have Radley here dress up as the Scarab, he'll come face to face with Mr. Garrison and manage to subdue him."

"That's actually not a bad idea." Nell said. "I should've thought of that."

"When you don't know much about the show in which your movie is based on, it's not a surprise." Madelyn remarked as she whispered to Shaggy, gesturing at Nell as she whispered.

"Well then, let's get to it, gang!" Shaggy rubbed his hands together.

* * *

Sometime later at the megastore, everyone was shopping for some stuff when all of a sudden, there was a puffy cloud of smoke. It was the Blue Scarab, laughing maniacally.

"Put that toy down!" the Scarab threatened a little boy holding a Blue Scarab reboot action figure.

The boy swallowed as he saw the Blue Scarab pointing at him, and he wordlessly put down the action figure.

"And the rest of you can put all that other stuff of that cheap knock-off down as well!" The Scarab roared at everyone else.

All the customers buying Blue Scarab merchandise immediately dropped what they were holding.

"I've seen what's around the corner and all I see is a destroyed and tarnished Blue Scarab!" The Scarab snapped. "But I will prevent that from happening! For I am the one and true, Blue Scarab!"

The Scarab was about to reach into his utility belt for some sort of bomb, when all of a sudden, there was another cloud of purple smoke.

"I don't think so!" said a voice from inside the cloud.

It was Radley in the classic Blue Scarab costume.

"What?" The Scarab turned around. "How?"

"You sir, are no Blue Scarab! You're but a mere impostor!" Radley exclaimed.

"Lies! All lies!" The Blue Scarab growled. "You are the impostor, fool!"

"We'll see about that, punk!" Radley reached into his utility belt and tossed a boomerang at the Scarab.

The Scarab ducked as the boomerang approached him and Radley grabbed it when it came back.

"Close, Bug-a-Rang!" He whispered.

"So, you know your tools, eh?" The Scarab demanded. "Two can play that game!"

The Scarab reached into his belt and got out three scarab-shaped shurikens. He tossed them right at Radley, who did his best to avoid them. As soon as he got away from them, he saw that the Blue Scarab was heading upstairs and ran after him.

He made it up to the roof, where he found the Scarab, ready to put his plan into action.

The Scarab reached into his pocket and took out the grenades from earlier.

"Say goodbye, you knock-offs!" The Scarab snickered.

"Mr. Garrison!" Radley said to the Scarab from behind. "This is your only warning! Stop this madness right now or pay the price!"

"Sure, you and what army?" The Scarab demanded.

"An army of me!" Radley boldly said. "Now, let's dance!"

"Ladies first!" the Scarab glared at his biggest fan.

"Wouldn't have said it better myself." Radley declared.

Radley and the Blue Scarab started attacking each other with everything they had. Radley once again tossed the Scarab boomerang at his foe, who quickly dodged it. The Scarab then charged right towards Radley and kicked him in the stomach.

Radley, though, managed to grab onto the Scarab's leg as it connected with his stomach. He swung the Scarab by his leg and tossed him right near the water tower. After slamming into the tower wall, the Scarab got up and brushed himself.

"You think you can knock me off? Nobody knocks me off!" He charged right towards Radley and continued the fight.

At that same time, Shaggy, Scooby, Madelyn and Mr. Nell got up to the roof and witnessed the fighting.

"Wow, this is pretty cool." Madelyn said as she recorded the brawl with her phone.

"Yeah, like a lost episode." Scooby nodded.

"Yeah, though I'm sure this fight should end before one of them gets seriously hurt." Shaggy pointed out.

"What could happen?" Madelyn shrugged.

Little did the youngest Dinkley sister know that the Blue Scarab had managed to kick Radley down.

"I'm the Scarab! Me! Not you!" the Scarab ranted to Radley. "Me! You think you can just show up and take my character? Well I'm gonna fix that right now, you tub of lard!"

The Scarab grabbed a grenade from his utility belt and was about to activate it, when all of a sudden...

"Stop!" Shaggy shouted. "Don't do this, Mr. Garrison!"

Who's this Mr. Garrison you speak of, boy?" The Scarab suddenly turned towards Shaggy.

"You are, mister! And I'm asking you to stop this madness at once!" Shaggy said as he walked up behind a giant glowing letter. "You're supposed to be the hero, not the villain. No matter how bad things got, the Blue Scarab always kept his chin up and kept fighting for what he believed in. He didn't go around blindly attacking others..."

"This is the bravest Shaggy has ever been." Scooby remarked.

"Yeah, that's why I'm crazy about him." Madelyn sighed.

"Boy, that kid must really be determined to convince me to stop doing this." The Scarab remarked.

"Of course, he's your biggest fan." Radley nodded.

"And I will still be if you don't use that grenade." Shaggy added.

"Please Mr. Garrison, don't do this." Radley pleaded. "You're better than that."

Mr. Garrison looked at the grenade and regained his sanity. He put it back in the utility belt. He then helped Radley get back up.

"Now that's the Scarab I know." Shaggy smiled.

All of a sudden, the letter that Shaggy was standing behind started to tilt forward.

The Scarab was the first to notice the giant letter tilting forward.

"Hey kid! Look out!" The Scarab shouted.

"Huh?" Shaggy turned around and saw the letter titling. "Zoinks!"

The two Scarabs ran towards Shaggy, ready to save him. Radley grabbed Shaggy and the Scarab kicked them both to safety. Unfortunately, the grenade in his belt fell out and landed right on the ground, triggering the grenade and causing a huge explosion. As the smoke cleared, there was a fire, but no sign of the Blue Scarab in sight.

"He's...he's gone..." Radley whispered as he and the others looked in horror.

Likewise, everyone was surprised when the Blue Scarab was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Soon enough, the news and the fire department arrived at the scene of the crime. Our protagonists were watching the fire getting put out. Mr. Nell was on the phone with somebody.

"Yes Mr. Wagner, I understand." He hung up the phone. "Well, after today's incident, the studio has cancelled any future Blue Scarab movies."

"Dang." Shaggy remarked.

"At least the fight was pretty epic." Madelyn looked at the video she recorded on her phone. "That should've been the movie."

"Hmm..." Nell remarked as Madelyn replayed the video that was recorded. "Say...that gives me something."

"What? What does it give you?" Shaggy asked.

"Well, I my goal was to carry on Mr. Garrison's legacy, right?" Nell asked.

"Right." Shaggy, Scooby, and Madelyn nodded.

"And Mr. Crown here did a great job as the original during his fight, right?" Nell added.

"Right." The others nodded.

"What's your point, exactly?" asked Radley.

"Well I was thinking, what if you did this crimefighting thing for real?" Mr. Nell replied.

"Wait! You want me to become a real superhero?" Radley gasped.

"That's pretty much it." Nell nodded.

"You know, that's not such a bad idea." Madelyn said. "After all, Captain Caveman does it."

"It's one thing to play a hero, but actually being a hero is a whole other thing." Shaggy added.

"I don't know, you think I can really pull it off?" Radley asked skeptically.

"Sure you can." Shaggy nodded. "Like the Blue Scarab says, it's the hero on the inside that matters."

"Hmm." Radley paused his lips as he nodded thoughtfully.

"So, what do you say, Radley old pal?" asked Shaggy.

"I say, a new hero is born!" Radley nodded.

"And with me as your assistant, you'll become the biggest superhero since Harvey Birdman." Nell added.

"But what can we call you?" Madelyn wondered. "Maybe something mighty as a fearsome predator, like a panther or a falcon."

"Hey! Hey! That's good! I like that!" Nell exclaimed. "Presenting Big City's newest protector, the Mighty Falcon!"

"Isn't that copyrighted?" Scooby raised an eyebrow.

"I think it is." Nell said. "Though the 'falcon' part of the name has promise."

"Okay, we'll try something else." Radley said.

"How about 'Blue Falcon?'" Shaggy suggested. "In honor of our hero, Mr. Garrison."

"Well, it does have a bit of a certain ring to it..." Radley rubbed his chin. "I like it!"

"Then it's settled, you are now the Blue Falcon!" Madelyn exclaimed.

"Well, I'd better get home now." Radley said. "I don't wanna keep my dog waiting."

As Shaggy, Madelyn, and Scooby walked with Radley to the bus station, someone in the sewer was watching them. It was the Scarab.

"So, you think you can steal my limelight? Well mark my words, Crown, one day I will have my revenge!" The Scarab vowed.

**THE END!**

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**Well ladies and gentlemen, it looks like this is just the beginning of our newest hero, the Blue Falcon and it doesn't look like the Scarab is defeated yet. But in the meantime, let's go see what the Funky Phantom is up to! **


End file.
